


Awakening

by Sparrows_Magician



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-09-16 19:33:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16960194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sparrows_Magician/pseuds/Sparrows_Magician
Summary: Life is never going to be the same after you die, just ask The Riddler and The Doc. A fic through time following the post-resurrection of Ed Nygma and Lee Thompkins. (after 4.22)





	1. Get Up!

_ Get Up! _

 

* * *

She wakes up with her hair sticking to her forehead. Her breath coming out in spurts, hand coming to her heart, her fingers clench the covers for comfort.

 

_ “Lee…” _

 

She puts her hands over her ears, trying to drown out the sound coming from her head.

 

_ “Ed...oh my God…” _

 

The floor feels cool under her bare feet. She wiggles her toes a bit, and then lazily makes circles with her nail scraping the floor. She fists the silk linens, angry at herself again. This fear...of standing,  _ moving, breathing _ , continues to plague her. She sucks in as much oxygen as possible, here eyes shut.

 

_ She smiles as her head falls back, the sensation of The Riddler between her legs, his hands massaging her thighs, his tongue reaching deep within her body. “Oh Ed…” _

 

She shakes her head again and swiftly stands up. The image of them together makes her stomach flip flop and her teeth clench. She goes into the bathroom to splash water on her face. Trying to eliminate the memory. She looks at herself in the mirror, the woman in that memory is not the same one who is staring back at her. She  _ hates _ that other woman. 

 

She looks out of her floor-to-ceiling windows. Gazing past her reflection, her eyes landing on the city. Gotham is in ruin. The Falcon empire is in disarray. Barbara and Oswald are trying to take control of as many of the fallen mobsters as possible. The people are suffering and she hides away in this mansion like a coward.

 

She pulls herself from her revolting reflection and walks down the corridor. Her hand holding onto the wall as if she is blind.  _ You are blind...you can no longer  _ **_see_ ** _ … _

 

The awful tears have come back, morning after morning since she woke up from death. The feeling of guilt is worn around her like chains. 

 

_ “Would you like to return to the Narrows? _ ”

 

It was only asked once, but she adamantly refused. Vomiting if she remembers her reaction correctly. 

 

She slowly makes it to the sun room and freezes in the doorway. The newspaper makes a ruffling noise in his hands as he quietly reads. She studies the back of his head, not a hair out of place. His shirt is crisp and his green blazer is folded perfectly on the seat next to him. She can see the steam from his tea from her place in the doorway. She knows he knows she’s there, but he never says good morning. 

 

_ Well he doesn’t anymore. _

 

They have started to delay the morning pleasantries. The silence lets them have another moment or two where they don’t have to pretend things aren’t awkward, weird,  _ tense _ . She walks over, and swiftly sits across from him, he doesn’t move his newspaper.

 

She looks down at the pancakes sitting out for her, always warm, always ready for her when she finally makes it into the room. He seems to anticipate her every move, and it drives her crazy. 

 

She sucks in a breath. His fingers crush the paper slightly, preparing himself.

 

_ “Why did Strange bring us back?” _

 

_ “Because I paid him too.” _

 

_ “When did you pay him to do this?” _

 

_ “Two weeks before you stabbed me, when I was sure we would end up killing each other.” _

 

_ “How did you know that would happen?!” _

 

_ “Because I know you.” _

 

This isn’t the first time they’ve had this conversation, the difference between then and now is he doesn’t put his newspaper down. The conversation is always the same, and it always makes her heartache.

 

_ “If you knew I would kill you, why did you have him bring me back?” _

 

_ “Because I love you.” _

 

He speaks of his love for her like it’s the law of gravity. It is always there, always true, and always constant. Then here comes Lee. The crazy person on the cliff screaming that it doesn’t exist and then throwing herself over the edge.

 

_ “If you love me, then why did you stab me back?!” _

 

_ “Because you needed to feel the same pain you were causing me.” _

 

She always wants him to explain that to her, and is always met with a stern look. Her cheeks will then color because she knows the answer. She just doesn’t want to admit she  _ knows _ . She caused him pain,  _ emotional, physical, psychological _ , and he wanted her to feel what he felt. 

 

He stands suddenly and quietly folds the newspaper next to his cleaned plate. She stares at him dumbfounded,  _ this behavior is new _ … 

 

“I’ll be gone for the day, I should be back around supper.”

 

He pauses and waits for a response, she opens her mouth a few times like a fish trying to breath.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

“I’m going to meet Oswald, he wants to run a job by me.”

 

He turns to leave but she rushes him and grabs his sleeve. She sees his shoulders slump. She keeps willing herself to say something to him but the only thing that comes out is silence. He turns to her and removes her hand.

 

“As much as I want to stay here I must go. Oswald and I need each other through this power struggle. I will be home tonight.”

 

She nods dumbly and he swiftly makes his exit. She doesn’t even register Maria behind her cleaning the table and doesn’t question how The Riddler can afford a maid with Gotham in ruin.

 

She goes back to her room and puts her head in her hands.

 

_ He’s pushing down her pants, his finger finding her center and pushing inside of her. “Oh Ed...right there…” _

 

She sniffles.

 

_ He pins her up against The Wheel of Misfortune. Her legs wrapped around his waist, his cock buries itself deep inside of her. Her back arches as he thrusts into her over and over...and over...and over... _

 

A tear escapes.

 

_ He’s mouth is on her neck, biting, sucking,  _ **_claiming._ ** _ “I’m so close…” _

 

Her palms are wet.

 

_ His kiss is searing as she cums, her body shaking and convulsing over him. “Lee...My Queen…” He is done then, filling her body with himself. _

 

She stares at her fingers as the tears fill her hands. 

 

_ “Smartest man in Gotham huh?” _

 

_ “I already confirmed it once, do we really need to bring it up now that we're home?” _

 

_ He is behind her, his arms suddenly around her waist, his voice hot, “You mean this is  _ **_our_ ** _ home?” _

 

She is actively wailing at the ceiling. The memories, moments, touches, swirling around her like stars in the sky.

 

_ He moves swiftly inside of her, the dusty bed in the Narrows creaking under them as he pumps into her cunt. “Fuck me Ed…”, “Always” and he kisses her. She yells out under him as she releases. _

 

She crumbles.


	2. Wake Up!

_ Wake Up! _

 

* * *

 

She stands in front of him as he packs up. This has become the new routine. He goes off to see Oswald. She stays home all day wishing he would come back to sit with her in silence. The irony of the situation isn’t lost on Dr. Thompkins. She had become a doctor so she would never be like her mother. Sitting at home all day just waiting for her father to return. 

 

Now here she is, Ed Nygma’s wife in everything but legality and physicality. He looks back at her, always waiting for something,  _ anything _ , to happen, but nothing ever does. She is no longer The Doc,  _ The Queen of the Narrows _ . She is just Leslie Thompkins, a shell of her former self. Her memories creating walls around her like a prison. Her mind recalling who she once was but her heart feeling  _ nothing. _

 

He leaves as he always does, and she returns to her room, closing her eyes and hoping one day she will gain back what she has lost. 

 

* * *

He almost left her a few times, after she first woke up. He had expected the questions, but the consistent repetition of the words had bothered him. He kept wishing he had someone to talk too about this particular development in Lee, but he couldn’t confide in anyone.

 

Butch, dead.

 

Barbara, enemy.

 

Tabitha, mutilated.

 

Victor, flighty.

 

Jim, arch nemesis.

 

Oswald...he couldn't trust Oswald with Lee’s condition. The Penguin had been looking for any means to expand his empire and he had his eye on The Narrows for a while. It wasn’t a rich place, but the people were powerful and he could use the area as another stronghold against Barbara.

 

The only thing Cobblepot knew was that Lee was awake and healing somewhere safe. 

 

As time went on he became disgusted with her behavior, unbelieving that she was the same woman who had stabbed him. 

 

After two months of the questions, he had snuck into her room one night, with a knife in his hand _. _ He quietly opened the blade as he knelt down in front her. His face coming level with her slumbering form, the knife coming to her neck. His eye suddenly catches a glimpse of a single hair that falls in front of her face. He pushed it away and his hand moves instinctively to cup her cheek. His whole body freezes.

 

His mind starts to drift to the other women he’s loved. Miss Kringle, Isabella...both of their times cut short by fate. He hadn’t been with a woman long enough to truly appreciate what love was, until Lee.

 

Had he only loved her for a moment in time? Was everything they had shared then been only for that season, was it not supposed to to be forever? He just stared at her, dumbfounded at his lack of perception.

 

He had told Oswald that he didn’t know what love was...but he was a hypocrite in a green suite. Ed didn’t truly know what love was until this moment. Love is being with someone as they struggle, change, and morph into different versions of themselves. Lee’s core was powerful, demanding, and focused. The only real difference between Leslie Thompkins and The Doc was the ability to kill. Even back when he was just Ed, she was always a constant rod of power and support for him. 

 

No, he did not kill her that night, and three months after the fall he keeps going home every night, hoping, praying she’ll be able to help herself find the missing pieces of her former glory.

 

It had finally happened, The Riddler discovered what love was.

 

* * *

Her eyes fly open and she wakes with a gasp. She shakes, her pupils dilate, her thighs press together. This sensation, she remembers  _ it _ , she reaches out. The emotions hit her all at once, her fingers grasp at the air around her as  _ it  _ washes over her like a shower, and she smiles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this one is short, but I have the other chapters mapped out. I believe in the 'slow burn'...hehe


	3. Slumber

 

_ Slumber _

 

* * *

“I’m off, Oswald wants me over to his mansion early. I’ll see you when I get home.”

 

She gapes at him, her lips tremble.

 

“Ed…”

 

He pauses as she says his name, almost as if the action is unfamiliar. She hasn’t said his name in  _ months _ . Then one day she said it, and it startled both of them. It isn’t consistent, but slowly, every other hour or so, she gets braver, more confident. 

 

He turns to her, his eyes hopeful, and she suddenly shys away, her eyes shifting to the birds outside the window.

 

_ It must have been my imagination… _

 

He always thinks.

 

She always lets him.

 

He leaves.

 

* * *

He comes back later than usual, he seems exhausted. Whatever he had to do for Oswald today seemed to have taken quite a bit from him. He loosens his tie and sits. She slowly walks in, sheepishly. She should let him rest.

 

She bumps into the coffee table as she attempts to sneak out. He looks over his shoulder, their eyes locked. 

 

“Ed, how was your day?”

 

She sucks in a breath. Sending him a small smile, bashful, but bold. 

 

“It was...tiring.”

 

She comes into the living room and sits on the couch across from him. She tucks her legs underneath her like a child and makes herself comfortable.

 

“Tell me about it.”

 

It takes him a moment before he fully registers the statement. She offers no explanation for the conversation. He accepted her offer of company almost too quickly. 

 

There had been a robbery at one of Penguin’s ports, which of course caused Oswald to fly into a rage and start breaking things. He had to take Victor to help him figure out what the hell happened.

 

As he spoke she tentatively listened, nodding when appropriate, laughing when he made a joke. 

 

“So what happened after you found the crowbar in the back of the port. Why would someone leave it there?”

 

He smiles at her.

 

“ _ I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with wind. What am I?” _

 

She blushes, he hasn’t told her a riddle in months. She purses her lips. She thinks she knows the answer, but her lack of confidence makes her shy away from opening her mouth. She scrunches her nose at him.

 

“ _ An echo. _ ”

 

She starts to laugh.

 

“The crowbar was a distraction.”

 

He nods in approval. Apparently the league of shadows were starting to drop items during their attacks to make their pursuers run in the wrong direction. Which is what happened to Penguin’s workers when they got robbed. It took all day to figure out the significance. He was exhausted from running around the city, the amount of people he had to ‘interrogate’ left him sore and drained.

 

“It sounds like you had a long day.”

 

He nods weakly, a half smile on his face.

 

“I did.”

 

She smiles and slowly stands.

 

“I’ll let you get some sleep, I’ll see you in the morning in the sunroom.”

 

He nods as she leaves. She stops in the doorway to look over her shoulder. He’s slump forward, his head in his hands. It was a small victory for both of them. She finally summoned the courage to have a casual conversation with him. He trusted her enough to share his life of crime with her. 

 

She leaves him to deal with his own emotions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The burn is slow...


	4. The Sweetest Dream is a Nightmare

_ The Sweetest Dream is a Nightmare _

 

* * *

They fall into a new routine over the next few weeks. She meets him every night for a night cap. He speaks to her about his adventures with Oswald. She always listens intently as he talks about the struggle between Penguin and Barbara.

 

The retaliations are getting out of hand. He confided in her the other night that his newest mission was to track down Barbara’s little kitty-cat Selina. He’s been hoping to capture her as leverage but she keeps eluding him. 

 

Lee spends her days rereading Shakespeare and Mark Twain. She walks the grounds and brings in fresh flowers for Maria. She does yoga as the sun sets before Ed comes home. She allows herself to meditate, connecting her mind with her emotions, allowing the fire within her to burn.

 

As the days go on she starts to remember all of the sensations she has forgotten. When she sits alone she allows her body and mind to reconnect with her soul.

 

As her mind starts to come back together, she develops an itch she can’t scratch. It’s time for things to change.

 

_ Tonight... _

 

* * *

He comes home and takes his normal spot in the living room, waiting for her to meet him for their nightly ritual. 

 

She walks in and holds out her hand.

 

“Let’s go sit in the sun room.”

 

He looked at her quizzically, but lifts his hand to meet hers as she leads him into the other room. This was the first physical contact they’d had in four months, his skin burns. 

 

“Maria, can you get us some chocolate cake please?”

 

The woman nods and Lee gestures for Ed to sit. He does as she heads to the bar.

 

“ _ If you break me I do not stop working; if you touch me I may be snared; if you lose me nothing will matter. What am I? _ ”

 

Ed almost falls out of his seat. Since when did Lee tell  _ him  _ riddles? He takes a breath.

 

“Your heart.”

 

She turns with two glasses of whiskey, perfectly poured, and hands him one. He looks at her baffled and she just smiles. Ignoring his look of shock and abruptly changing subjects.

 

“Oh the cake.” 

 

Maria makes her way into the room and places the delicious food in front of them.

 

“That will be all, thank you Maria.”

 

The woman bows and leaves the room to retire for the night. Lee looks back at Ed, who is still in shock. She eats a bit of cake.

 

“Mmmmm…”

 

Her lips press together around the fork as she slowly pulls it from her mouth.

 

Ed gulps.

 

“This is so good…”

 

She puts the fork down and downs her whiskey in one gulp, Ed gapes at her.

 

“Ed, drink.”

 

Without thinking he follows her actions,  _ just like he had before _ . 

 

She stands again, refills their glasses, and hands his back to him. She repeats the action and he follows suite. She refills the glasses one last time but instead of drinking she goes back to her cake. She pulls her chair closer and pushes a piece of cake toward his face.

 

“Open up.”

 

He does without thinking, she puts the cake in his mouth. As she pulls the fork out some of the frosting  _ accidentally _ lands on his top lip.

 

“Oh, let me help you.”

 

She leans forward, and  _ licks _ his upper lip. He springs up then and grabs her by the shoulders.

 

“Lee…” he says through gritted teeth.

 

She shrugs him off and grabs the whiskey again. She hands him his drink.

 

“Drink up Nygma.”

 

His eyes scrunch up, he shakes his head and slams the drink down.

 

“No, this isn’t how this relationship works anymore. You are going to tell me what the hell is going on with you. What is up with this attitude, and why are you forcing whiskey down my throat?”, she turns to him, his eyes narrow, “I’m not your sidekick anymore, Lee.”

 

She looks at him over her drink and raises and perfectly manicured eyebrow. Her head tilts to the side. An amused look coming over her face.

 

“Did you like my riddle?”

 

She deflects from him and he fights the urge to strangle her. She walks over to the window to look out, her back to him. He fixes his ties and pushes his glasses up. He studies her form, something has changed in her, she seems... _ darker _ . He clasps his hands behind him, he eyes how her hip slouches.

 

“Aren’t you at all curious where I came up with it, or why I told it to you?”

 

He is silent.

 

She turns.

 

“It’s because I’ve seen it.”

 

“Seen what.”

 

“ _ Your heart. _ ”

 

He scoffs at her.

 

“Yea, how’s that.”

 

“The night you came into my room to kill me after we came back from the dead.”

 

He stands stoic, not giving anything away, not even  _ acknowledging _ the accusation. She walks closer to him.

 

“I know you wanted to slit my throat that night, frustrated that your little plan to bring us back didn’t work, that I was different.”

 

Silence.

 

“But you didn’t, just like before at The Riddle Factory, you didn’t kill me.” He takes a breath, her eyes lock with his. “I thought the only reason you were attracted to me was due to the new darkness that was awakened within me. That you only loved  _ The Doc _ I became after the virus. That is why I stabbed you.”

 

He stiffens, she takes a sip of whiskey.

 

“If I went back to being someone else, someone who didn’t kill, your feelings would fade and you would end up killing me.”

 

He stands in silence, offering nothing to dispute her words.

 

“I was wrong.”

 

His jaw clenches as she walks closer.

 

“I’ve been a fool. I should have never done what I had done. I should have trusted in your feelings, your commitment to me. People change all the time, I am more than living proof of that.”

 

She is so close to him now, she stares right up at his eyes, _ into his soul _ .

 

“Let me come back to you Ed.”

 

He lets out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding and swoops down. He can’t help himself. She melts into him as her lips meet his, her mouth opening to accept his tongue. The scent of whiskey and chocolate overtaking her senses. She moans.

 

She feels him pulling at her hips, his cock clearly hard and pushing against her thigh. She pulls away when he starts to kiss down her neck.

 

“Ed wait.”

 

He growls at her as he lifts his head.

 

“Why.”

 

She hands him his whiskey and he looks at her dumbfounded.

 

“Ed, we should drink up. This is the last drink you’ll be getting tonight.”

 

He raises and eyebrow, but brings the whiskey to his lips.

 

“I need you numb so you can ravish me until morning.”

 

His eyes widen at the implications and he downs his drink in one gulp. If that is what  _ His Queen  _ wants.

 

He almost chokes as Lee starts sucking on his neck. Her hands suddenly everywhere and he drops the empty cup to the ground. The clanging of the glass echoes in the room.

 

He suddenly has her up against the wall. Her leg comes up and wraps around his waist. She grinds her hot core onto his cock. He moans into her mouth as she continues the movements. He pulls at her shirt and throws it aside. She kisses him again, his hands pushing at her breasts, she moans in response. He pushes her bra down exposing her left breast. She gasps as his mouth covers her nippel. His teeth starts to pull at her breast leaving a large bruise in his wake. Claiming her as his own.

 

His hands pushing at the bottom of her dress and her fingers make quick work of his belt. She has ripped the top of his shirt open and starts kissing the skin there. 

 

He pushes her up against the wall as he slides into her with no preamble. 

 

“Oh my God…”

 

She groans when he finally fits inside of her. She clenches his arms as he bites at her shoulder.

 

“Riddler…”

 

He bucks at his name, and sucks. She hugs him as he thrusts into her over and over again.

 

“Lee...My Queen…”

 

She rakes her hands through his hair, messing up the meticulously placed strands. She feels it, the sensation that had been living in her belly for months now,  _ begging _ , to be be released. She pulls back, holding the lamp above her head so she can look at him.

 

The Riddler, with his glasses crooked, his hair still  _ shockingly  _ perfect, looks like he was about to explode. She holds his face away from her, she wants to see, wants to see what she does to him,  _ what he does to her _ .

 

“Lee I…”

 

She knows, she feels it.

 

“Fuck me Riddler…”

 

He can’t hold back, and she can’t either. The orgasim is euphoric. To join together as one, to come to this sensation together, its overwhelming. He holds her close and she feels his knees give way. They slide down the wall and she lands in his lap, his cock softening inside of her. He is breathing heavily now, she is as well, and they just hold one another. His head burying itself in her hair, her arms come around him.

 

“I love you.”

 

He looks up at her and she looks down. She brushes his hair back from his head, fixing his immaculate curls.

 

“I do Ed,  _ The Riddler _ , I love you.”

 

He looks like he might cry, if he was someone else he might have.

 

“I think I’ve loved you all along.”

 

He buries his face in her neck and she smiles and holds him close.

 

“I love you too, Lee.”

 

They stay there for what feels like an eternity, and if anyone asked, neither cried.

 

* * *

The next morning she wakes up in a new room, with Ed sleeping peacefully next to her. She looks under the covers. At some point in the night he had grabbed her hand, she suspects he doesn’t intend to let her go.

 

She leans on her elbow so she can look down at him and wait for him to wake up. He stirs a bit and squints at the light coming over his eyes. 

 

“Here.”

 

She hands him his glasses. 

 

“Thank you.”

 

They stay there a moment, his hand coming up behind her, lazily stroking her back. A smile passing between them that only they’re allowed to shared. He gets up a bit to kiss her-

 

“Oh no, your breath stinks go brush your teeth.”

 

He gapes at her and she shakes her head.

 

“I may love you, but I do not love bad breath. Go, go brush them now.”

 

She pushes him to the bathroom and he attempts to protest. She rushes to the sink and pulls out two toothbrushes.

 

She hands him one and even gives him toothpaste. They both start to brush their teeth. It feels oddly  _ domestic, even though they are both still naked _ . He smiles softly. When their done she smiles and kisses his cheek.

 

“Was that so hard?”

 

His lips are suddenly on hers, as he pushes her up against the porcelain of the sink.

 

“Yes…”

 

She frowns.

 

“I’ve been waiting to do this since last night.”

 

Now was her chance to be confused, until he was on his knees with her thighs around his head. Last night he had filled her up so much he never got a chance to  _ properly  _ kiss her. 

 

“Oh…”

 

His tongue comes out and laps at her softly folded lips. His finger slowly made an appearance as it slowly probes her.

 

“Oh my God Ed…”

 

He starts to suck on her clit and her fingers find their way into his hair.

 

“Riddler...Ah yes...right there…”

 

His fingers and tongue do a dance inside of her, sucking, probing,  _ pumping _ . 

 

“Edward!”

 

She screams as she climaxes all over his face and he laps up every last drop.

 

Her foot is sore from being on her tippy toes. She pulls at him when he stands and sticks her tongue so far down his throat she can taste where his tonsils use to live.  _ Before The Dentist _ ...

 

She tastes herself all over him and she shakes.

 

“So your telling me...bad breath a no...but your cum aok?”

 

She scowls at him and he just smiles. Her fingers try to make their way to his crotch and he grabs her hands.

 

“As much as I would  _ love _ to do that again this morning, I need to leave. I’m already late for a meeting Oswald.”

 

She nods, her eyebrow raises. His eyes narrow.

 

“You want to come don’t you.”

 

She tilts her head to the side puts her hands around his neck and kisses the tip of his nose.

 

“You really are the smartest man in Gotham.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really enjoyed writing this, I wanted to take my time with them getting together. I didn't want to make it too fluffy, but I really believed Lee would end up loving him. I hope I didn't make the Riddler too much of a softy. :)


	5. Day Dream

 

_ Day Dream _

 

* * *

It feels right, every aspect of standing there, welcoming her people back into her club. The Narrows were being run by Sampson in her absence, and she couldn’t have any of that. The guilt she initially felt when she returned ended when she broke Sampson’s leg with a hammer. 

 

_ The Queen is back, The Doc is back! _

 

She was sitting in her  _ empire _ , drinking her whiskey, getting ready for the normal nightly festivities. The Narrows was in complete disarray but she was going to bring it back to life, one bank at a time. 

 

“Doc.”

 

“Joseph, how nice of you to stop by. How can I help you?”

 

“We are having an issue on Storrows St. There seems to be an outbreak of the virus Crane released into the water and the people are dying from the hellucinations.”

 

She stands, finishing her drink and grabbing her kit.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

\-------------------------

 

He always shows up three hours after the club opens. He still doesn’t understand her desire to keep this place around. The Narrows has become useful for one thing only, trafficking. As long as she is The Queen of The Narrows this was her strong hold, and these people were rough enough to not let anything happen to her.

 

She even let him open The Riddle Factory a few nights a week, with, of course, some modifications to the Wheel of Misfortune.

 

He finds her upstairs, her normal spot overlooking the crowd. The drink makes it halfway to her lips before she spots him. He stand out, emerald green isn’t really a subtle color.

 

“Did I miss anything.”

 

She takes a swig.

 

“Not really, I think we need to have a fight tonight. The music doesn’t seem to be enough for the crowd.”

 

He nods and bring an arm around her, aligning their bodies.

 

“Hi.” She smiles.

 

“Hi.” He smiles.

 

His fingers come into her hair as he kisses her softly. She leans into him, loving the feeling of their lips together. She has big plans for Ed Nygma.

 

* * *

He was pissed, Oswald had made him stay late and then forced his company on Ed. The small man following him closely behind for a ‘Night Cap’.

 

They had been working long nights together and usually they would simply part ways when they were finished. Oswald, Ed and Lee had created quite a robust business funneling things through her part of town. He spent most of his nights planning out the next shipments while Lee managed the people within the Narrows.

 

The last two months or so the relationship between Oswald and Lee had made improvements, but only  _ small _ improvements. The Penguin brought her into the fold but only on a trial basis and it caused  _ tension  _ between the three. Oswald was always pointing out Lee’s flaws to Ed, and Lee’s hot temper didn’t really help anything. Ed swears her fuse got smaller after the rebirth. Oswald would accuse her often of just using Ed and she would accuse Penguin of plotting to kill her so he could have Ed all to himself. Most days that happened he just wanted to crawl into the floor and leave them both to burn down the mansion. There was usually items being thrown about at that time. He shakes his head remembering the time they pulled their guns on one another.

 

Which is why he was surprised Oswald had been so adamant about coming to his home. He tried to keep the interactions between his best friend and lover to a minimum. 

 

“Ok, ok Oswald don’t push me.”

 

Cobblepot was practically shoving him through the front door.

 

“Ed, my friend, you may be intelligent but you move like a slug. It is freezing out here and I wish to get in front of the fire with a glass of brandy in my hand as soon as possible.”

 

Ed rolls his eyes as he unlocks the house. Standing to his left was Gerald, his butler. For The Queen of the Narrows, Lee did have some expensive taste.  _ She was married to Mario Falcone... _

 

“Thank you Gerald.”

 

The older man smiles even as Oswald haphazardly throws his coat at him. Ed rolls his eyes and follows the limping man through his home.  _ It’s as if he thinks he lives here… _

 

He suddenly had a terrible thought, what if he really was here to kill Lee and Ed was so tired he just missed the signs?  _ Did I just kill Lee... _

 

“Edward, are you coming?”

 

Ed is thrown out of his thoughts as he starts down the hall after Penguin.

 

“Oswald, you know you shouldn’t just walk into a man’s house and act like-”

 

He is cut off as they make their way to the living room. He stands there in shock. The furniture had been removed, and in the middle was a small arch and a justice of the peace. The Riddler just stares, not comprehending how the room could be transformed into the dream before him. Green, purple and black adorned the walls, crystal centerpieces of the same colors sit on small tables.Victor sits in the corner, playing the piano. Maria advances toward them with something in her hand.

 

“Yes, thank you Maria.”

 

Oswald takes two boutonnieres from the housekeeper and pins one to Ed’s lapel. In the background he hears a click and turns around to see Gerald taking a picture. He smiles at his master, his mustache twitching a bit, the old man looks like he was tearing up.

 

_ Am I the only one whose freaked out that Victor knows how to play the piano... _

 

“Ok great, now we’re ready.”

 

“Ready for what?”

 

Oswald just scoffs at him.

 

“For your wedding of course. Do you know how long it took me to get this place decorated? You should have seen some of Lee’s ideas, she is a beautiful woman, yes, but some of her tastes are just so tacky…”

 

His ears suddenly went deaf at the word  _ wedding _ . Oswald was still complaining about the original decor choices, completely oblivious to Ed’s minor freak out.

 

_ Click. _

 

_ This will definitely have to make the Christmas card... _ Gerald smiles at the photo.

 

“Oswald, back up, who am I marrying?”

 

Oswald looks at him quizzically. His friends hand is out and his other holding his heart. It dawns on Cobblepot. He puts his hands behind his back and nods at Ed.

 

Then he laughs.

 

“My friend, do you really think I’m that delusional?”

 

Ed looks at Oswald and a moment is shared between the two men. Their love for one another needing no words, no definitions. Oswald is his closest confidant, mentor,  _ friend _ . Even though they had forgiven one another so long ago, it felt like this moment, everything,  _ everything _ , was truly behind them. Cobblepot sends him a knowing smile and then his eyes light up.

 

“Ah Martin! You look so handsome.”

 

The young boy comes out dressed in his Penguin best. He smiles, and holds out a small pillow, two rings snuggled inside.

 

“Ah yes, Victor, I think we can start now. Ed?”

 

The Riddler just nods, a small smile on his face. He touches Martin’s shoulder.

 

“You do look very handsome.”

 

The boy glows as he slowly walks down the aisle. Gerald’s everywhere taking photos, capture the small moments Ed is sure to miss.

 

When the shock is finally gone, and he is standing at the top of the aisle he sucks in a breath when the music changes.

 

Lee comes out. 

 

She is a daydream in deep purple. The mermaid dress she wears is a stark contrast to her last wedding dress. She only has a simple net over her face, the jewelry she wearing emerald green. When she’s finally standing in front of him he is smiling like a fool. 

 

“Hi Ed.”

 

“Hi Lee.”

 

It takes all of his self control to not kiss her. He grabs her hand instead, but he stiffens again. He looks down, on her left ring finger is an engagement ring, an emerald haloed by black diamonds. He recognizes the jewelry.

 

“Lee-”

 

“Later.”

 

She puts her finger to her lips and points to the justice of the peace. He doesn’t remember much, just the I do’s and something about eternal love. The single emerald encrusted in silver metal that now sits on his finger compliments the black diamond’s in Lee’s ring.

 

He can’t stop himself when the justice announced them as married. His lips were on her so quickly he’s pretty sure he might have knocked the wind out of her. She smiles into his lips in return, her fingers coming up and into his hair. He pulls away and closes his eyes softly.

 

“Did this really just happen?”

 

“Almost.”

 

She smiles knowingly and before he can say anything else she pulls his hand.

 

“Come on, I look too good not to get some pictures!”

 

That was the rest of their night, with their closest friends in their home they celebrate their wedding. At the end of the night the justice of the peace comes over.

 

“It is time for me to go, I just need the final signatures.”

 

“Oh right!”

 

Oswald pulls out a small piece of paper and hands it to Lee. She takes it from him and signs the document, then hands it to Ed. He looks down and in his hands is a “Certificate of Marriage”. He smiles again, something he never thought he would have in his life. He takes a moment to scan the document, reading each line, when something shocking catches his eye. He stares at Lee and she smiles.

 

“Leslie Nygma…”

 

She just continues to meet his gaze.

 

“My name…”

 

She shrugs her shoulders. 

 

“Lee Thompkins has been dead for a long time. The Narrows knows me as either The Doc or The Queen. I think Leslie, Lee, Nygma is a great next chapter in my life.”

 

He can’t help himself, he lunges at her again and kisses her with all of his might. She smiles into his kiss.

 

“Thank you.”

 

She touches his face.

 

_ “Thank you.” _

 

* * *

He couldn’t get her out of the dress quick enough after everyone had left. He pulled it down in one swift motion and she was bare underneath except for a small emerald green garter and the black heels she wore.

 

“That couldn’t have been comfortable to wear all night.”

 

She scrunched her nose.

 

“It really wasn’t...but love is what...about sacrifice?”

 

He smiles as her nude body pressed against his cloths. She suddenly pulls away grabbing his tie and leading him by the neck to the bed. He smiles at her audacity and allows her to seat him in front of her. His hands roam her hips and she continues to pull at his tie to get it loosen.

 

He grabs her hand suddenly and places a kiss over her rings. She smiles at him.

 

“Where did you find this ring?”

 

So he wants to talk now...that's fine. She straddles his hips, her hot core pressing into his tented pants.

 

“In the pool room.”

 

His eyes widen.

 

“Which, to be honest, having a pool room feels kind of weird in general but it was the least visited room in the estate so I thought it had to be in there.”

 

“ _ Had?” _

 

She shakes her head at him, her smirk making its way to her face.

 

“Did you really think I hadn’t figured this out?”

 

He gapes at her.

 

“How could you, do you even know when I got it?”

 

“Absolutely I do! It was after you saved me from the GCPD and we were done fucking for the second time.”

 

His eyebrows scrunch up, he is slightly upset.

 

“How could you even know that, and how did you know I kept it?”

 

“Because you love me.”

 

The statement was so bold that Ed almost lost his hard on,  _ almost _ . He looks at her again, waiting for an explanation.

 

_ “Do you think you’d ever want to get married again?” _

 

He is dumbfounded by the words.

 

“You said that to me, after the GCPD, in bed.”

 

“Yea and you ignored me completely, you didn’t even acknowledge the statement. You just got out of bed and left. At what point did you think I would buy you a ring, and even propose to you?”

 

_ “Journey without it and you will never prevail, but if you have too much of it you will surely fail. What am I?” _

 

“I don’t know if I like you pulling these riddles out on me during these  _ intimate  _ moments.”

 

“Confidence! You were so cocky that you would one day have me I knew your intention was to make it legal. That is the only part of the law you ever admired.”

 

He ran his fingers over her hand again, and looked down at the stones.

 

“It does look beautiful on your finger.”

 

“Thanks, I had to get it resized.”

 

He rolls his eyes.

 

“I said I was a genius, not perfect.”

 

“Ain’t that the truth…”

 

She kisses him and he melds into her.

 

“Enough talking.”

 

She makes the statement as she starts to pull at his blazer. The next thing he knows she’s pulling at the buttons of his pants, his body suddenly more naked than she was. He went to his glasses but she stopped him.

 

“Let’s try something fun tonight.”

 

She gives him his gloves and puts his hat on his head as he leans back on his elbows. He doesn’t remember when she adjusted, he just groans when his member suddenly makes its way inside of her. She shimmies her hips over him and he falls back. Her hands on his chest, his fingers digging into her hips as she moves up and down him.

 

She starts moving frantically as she feels her orgasm mounting. He can feel it too, he tries to flip them over to push into her but she stops him. Her hands were around his neck and he is shocked as she presses down. It crossed his mind that she might kill him, which could have been her plan all along.  _ What a way to go _ …

 

He doesn’t stop her from pressing down on his neck, his oxygen leaves his body as she shakes over him. The orgasm spreading over him in the most delicious ecstasy. She finally releases her grip and as the air fills his lungs he follows her into madness. He looks up at her as she shivers above him, coming down from the orgasm.

 

He pulls her down to kiss her with everything he has. His fingers playing with her breasts and enjoying the feeling of her hard nipples on his palms. After an eternity he finally pulls from her soft lips.

 

“That was…”

 

“Intense…”

 

She nods at him and he flips her over, her head landing in the pillows as he crawls over her. He pulls her leg to his face and kisses her ankle seductively.

 

“Where...oh where did you get an idea like that  _ Mrs. Nygma. _ ”

 

She bites her lip in response, enjoying his mouth as it slowly descends over her inner thigh and licks at her navel.

 

“I took inspiration from  _ my husband _ .”

 

Any other person would have been startled at the reference to Miss Kringle in their bedroom, but Lee Nygma is no ordinary woman, and Ed Nygma is no ordinary man. 

 

He hovers over and runs his gloved hands over her thighs. She gasps as he sticks a single leathered finger inside of her core. Her face pushes into the pillows, revealing in the sensation. He pumps her for a few minutes, loving the way she shakes under him. His cock twitching, ready for another round.

 

“Does that mean you want a try?”

 

She lifts up to her elbows and plants the softest kiss on his lips.

 

“Why do you think I made you put the gloves back on?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The whole 'wedding' thing is more calculated in my opinion, that and I'm a sucker for a good wedding :D Enjoy!


	6. The Nightmare is Real

_The Nightmare is Real_

 

* * *

She is disappointed as she sits in the GCPD, waiting for Jim to come in and yell at her. Lee and Ed had pulled off over thirty robberies in the last two months and this is the first time they had _this_ problem.

 

_Stupid masked crusader..._

 

He had fled the second the sirens were heard. There was a brief moment before then that she thought he was going to get Ed with that ridiculous bat boomerang. She almost interfered but Ed had made her hide and promise to get out if things went sideways. When he was gone the two of them realized that they were going to get caught. She insisted on being the distraction, and got in a fight with Ed over it. He didn’t like it last time and he doesn’t like it this time.

 

_Always a jealous man…_

 

“Lee.”

 

“Jim...what bring us here today?”

 

He grunts at her blase attitude. Even bringing her in she was smirking the whole time.

 

“Lee, the bank you were in was being robbed and you happened to be the only person _not_ knocked out. This doesn’t look good for you.”

 

She puts her hand over her heart and feigns shock. _Fucking masked man..._

 

“Whatever do you mean? How was I to know that the bank would be robbed at the exact same time I was looking to open a new account!”

 

“Lee-”

 

“That’s enough Jim.”

 

She sits back confused as Harvey opens the door and a very high end lawyer walks through behind him.

 

“Detective Gordon, I can’t believe you are interrogating my client without her lawyer present.”

 

“And you are…”

 

“Saul, Saul Salvatore, with Salvatore and Partners in Manhattan. I was called in when I heard _my client_ was being harassed by the police.”

 

_Salvatore and Partners...well done Ed…_

 

She smiles at Jim as he glares at the lawyer.

 

“Look, Lee is in a lot of trouble here, I can make her a deal if she just gives up The Riddler.”

 

Saul looks appalled.

 

“Detective Gordon, are you asking my client to _break the law?_ ”

 

“Jim…” Harvey is suddenly next to Gordon, his hand on Jim’s arm, “Jim just let her go. We can’t do anything, let’s just move on.”

 

“NO! I want to know what this half-assed crack lawyer is implying. Lee just has too-”

 

“ _Dr. Nygma_ will do no such thing. The conversations between a husband and wife are considered sacred and privileged in the eyes of the law.”

 

Lee watches in fascination as Jim’s entire demeanor changes. She looks away when they make eye contact, a pang of guilt suddenly shoots through her. She cares for Jim, she doesn’t want to see him hurt, but she has changed, _moved on_.

 

“How...it’s not…”

 

“Of course it is.”

 

Saul pulls out a copy of the marriage license and sticks it in Jim’s nose. The detective almost falls into Harvey, his friend catching him. His eyes lock with her as he bangs his hands on the table.

 

“Are you kidding me Lee? You married...ED?! After everything he did to you, _to us_ , you married him?!”

 

She looks away, she doesn’t need to justify her marriage to Jim Gordon.

 

“You know I looked for you...when the bridges went down. I thought you were dead Lee, _dead,_ and when I heard The Riddler was back I was sure he killed you...and now you show up…”

 

“Lee Thompkins is dead Jim. She has been dead for a long time,” she stands, “you are right to mourn.”

 

A moment passes between them, the end of a very long story, _an epic fairytale_.

 

His jaw clenches.

 

“I’m sure we’ll see each other again. Hopefully next time it will be under better circumstances.”

 

He lunges as she walks out the room, but Harvey holds him back. Saul grabs the document and follows her out. In front of the precinct she quietly gets into a car.

 

“Where to Dr. Nygma?” The driver asks.

 

She smiles.

 

“Take me home.”

 

* * *

He is sitting in the sun room casually when she saunters in behind him and kisses his temple.

 

“How was the GCPD dear?”

 

“Lovely as always.”

 

Maria comes out of the kitchen placing some tea in front of her. He puts his newspaper down, the headline reading **_THE RIDDLER, STILL AT LARGE_ **. She frowns.

 

“I didn’t even get a shout out did I?”

 

He chuckles.

 

“It’s only because the audience is drawn to the dashingly handsome and brilliant supervillain.”

 

She sticks her tongue out at him before sipping her tea.

 

“It’s nighttime, would you like something stronger?”

 

She shakes her head.

 

“Oh no not tonight, I got enough of a high watching Jim crumble to dust when he realized we were married.”

 

Ed raises an eyebrow at her. She observes him clenching his jaw in frustration. He tries to play it off.

 

“Did he?”

 

“Oh Ed, don’t play coy. He just got on my case about us being married.”

 

His eyes narrow, she grabs his hand.

 

“Do you have to always get so haughty when I mention Jim?”

 

He pulls his hand from her and folds his arms like a child. She laughs.

 

“Was our marriage not enough to convince you that I want you and not him? Should I fuck you in the precinct for everyone to see?”

 

He points at her, “YES! That, let’s do that.”

 

She rolls her eye, stands and seats herself in his lap. His arms come around her waist, hers around his neck playing with his hair, “you should be nicer to your new bride.”

 

He scoffs at her, “We’ve been married for over a year.”

 

He squeezes her tighter to him, suddenly becoming vulnerable _Ed_ , for just a second.

 

“Ed Nygma, _my_ ever changing riddle.”

 

He smiles up at her.

 

“As long as I’m your favorite patient, _Doc_.”

 

She scrunches her nose at him, “ _Maybe_.”

 

_\---------------------------------------_

 

She drinks the cool brown liquid as she looks out over the terrace reflecting on her marriage.

 

Marriage isn’t the passionate Hollywood fantasy she imagined. Instead it has become a joint alliance between two powerful individuals. Lee isn’t simply Ed’s wife, she’s his partner, his confidant, _his equal_. They have fallen into a deeper connection than she could have ever imagined.

 

Their lovemaking has turned into hot debates and challenges of the mind over their business with Oswald. She has found the longer she keeps him out of the bedroom the hungrier he becomes. She’s has answered the sirens call of starving him as much as possible.

 

Ed had been out of town the last couple of months and Lee had been sitting on this secret hoping it will be met with a celebration instead of a fight. _If he’s nice I might even_ **_feed_ ** _him afterwards..._

 

The door slowly opens and Maria enters.

 

“Is everything ready for tonight?”

 

“Yes madam.”

 

She turns to her trusted housekeeper. A devious smile comes over her face.

 

“Fantastic.”

 

* * *

“I’m home.”

 

Ed announces himself as he walks into the fireplace lit living room. Lee gets up and jumps into his arms. He catches her effortlessly and places a soft kiss on her lips.

 

She smiles at him, “How was your business trip?”

 

Ed scoffs, “Awful. Apparently that caped jackass showed up at another raid, and now Oswald is all bent out of shape again. He was trying eliminate one of Barbara’s top Shadow Generals with a bogus shipment scam and failed because of the interference. Then, on top of that, one of our _actual_ shipments got raided by the police and _confiscated_ by an anonymous tip! And _somehow_ he found a way to blame me for the who fiasco and said that _I_ should have anticipated this shitshow.”

 

“Sounds like fun.”

 

She folds her arms and cocks her head to the side as Ed goes off on one of his famous tirades. His arms doing the classic Riddler ‘oks’, flailing about and grabbing his whiskey.

 

“Ya know, were supposed to be partners. _The Penguin and The Riddler_ . We shouldn’t be squabbling like children. Whenever he starts poking holes in my plans he’s basically spitting in my face. You know it was _me_ that rebuilt this empire. _ME_ . It’s not my fault we now have this douchebag _bat_ inserting himself in our business. How am I supposed to anticipate the actions of a lunatic!?”

 

He screams at the ceiling and she winces. Her only interactions with _Batman_ were the times he showed up and gave her medicine for The Narrows. He never says a word, just gives her a stern look and leaves.

 

“What is the difference between me and that _BatBoy_?! He just pretends to be some Robin Hood wannabe when he’s actually breaking the law just as much as we are...Sureeeeeee we’ve killed some-”

 

“A lot.”

 

“-of people along the way but _that_ doesn’t make him better than me! God if only Jerome was still around…”

 

Lee’s mind wanders to The Joker. Jeremiah has taken his brother’s place, stealing the title when he blew up the bridges. After the fall Ed and Oswald signed a mutual agreement with him. He wouldn’t interfere with their ‘business’ and they would stay out of his next ‘project’. Ed’s analysis concluded that their profits would increase and crimes would be easier to commit when the ‘project’ was completed. _The only problem_ , Jeremiah isn’t as obsessed with the new Batman as his brother would have been, leaving Oswald and Ed to take all the heat.

 

Lee is thrown from her daydream and locks eyes with Ed. He looks at her sheepishly.

 

“Lee, I’m sorry I’m sitting here complaining and I didn’t even ask you how you’ve been.”

 

“Busy.”

 

He scoffs at his whiskey, “Busy huh? Did douchbat harass you too?”

 

She grabs his hand and pulls him over to the couch.

 

“Come on, let's sit for a bit. You seemed even more upset than normal.”

 

He sits down with Lee and puts his head on her shoulder. She squeezes his hand as he lets out a sigh.

 

“I missed you.”

 

She smiles at the omission.

 

“I missed you too and I’m glad your home safe.”

 

He smiles and finally pulls off his gloves. She interlaces their fingers and kisses his head.

 

Maria suddenly enters, cake in hand. Ed looks at her quizzically.

 

“I have something to talk to you about that I hope will make you feel better.”

 

Gerald enters after Maria and places an envelope in front of both of them.

 

“Thank you both, you can leave now.”

 

They bow and make their exit. Lee sits back and grabs the envelope.

 

She takes a breath.

 

“Ed...I have something to show you.”

 

He grabs the envelope and puts it to the side. A puzzled look comes over Lee’s face as he stands in front of the fireplace, strikes a dramatic pose, and points at her.

 

_“If you have me, you want to share me. If you share me, you haven’t got me. What am I?”_

 

Her eyebrows come together as she cautiously answers.

 

“A Secret-”

 

“Your not that good at keeping them anymore.”

 

His arms go behind his body, and she tenses thinking he’s going to pull out a gun. She was right, he does, but he puts it on the table.

 

“Sorry that was bothering me.”

 

She gives him a stern look and he smiles. Next, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his wallet. He grabs a small photo and places it in her hands. She looks at him, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.

 

“Do you really think I didn’t know?”

 

“Ed I-”

 

He holds a hand up to stop her and pushes his glasses up his nose.

 

“I spent a lot of nights away thinking of all the reasons why you didn’t tell me immediately. I concluded that you were trying to meet the ‘safe’ three month mark before letting me know due to your last pregnancy terminating. Honestly, though, I could feel it through my blazer when you hugged me. I mean _come on_ , seriously, your cloths, the dim lighting? Then again your last pregnancy was with that buffoon Jim Gordon and _he_ was so stupid he didn’t even _realize_ you were pregnant…”

 

He starts going on a tangent about how idiotic Jim Gordon is that he completely missed the look of shock on Lee’s face. In typical Riddler fashion he is was more focused on an ego trip instead of Lee.

 

“ED!”

 

He is startled by her shout and stares at her.

 

“ _How_ did you find out?”

 

He scoffs at her _idiotic_ question.

 

“Lee, I am the smartest man in Gotham.”

 

She shoots him a death glare and smirks as he visibly shrinks.

 

“ _Ed, how_.”

 

“I’ve been monitoring your menstrual cycle, I knew after the first time you missed _it_ , you were at two weeks?”

 

She sighs. Why wouldn’t he know when she missed her period? She didn’t actively announce it but he isn’t stupid. She deflates a little.

 

“Ed I…”

 

She looks up at him. His eyes go to the floor in an abnormally bashful manner.

 

“I didn’t say anything because you didn’t say anything. I didn’t want to intrude and I figured there was a reason you weren’t telling me.”

 

All the morning sickness, all the aches and pains, and she could have just told him since he already knew. She suddenly feels so stupid for thinking that she could keep this massive secret from him.

 

“Ed I’m sorry it’s just…”

 

“Hey, it’s ok I get it.” He cups her cheek and she smiles at him.

 

This is the most perfectly imperfect reveal, and it feels so right between them. _I think I might have even been disappointed if he didn’t know._ He reaches for the cake and pulls it close.

 

“So I’m guessing this is celebratory cake?”

 

_I wonder if he knows everything…_

 

“Cut it open.”

 

He nods and cuts into the cake. Hundreds of blue M&Ms fall out, each one adorned with a green question mark.

 

“Lee why are there-”

 

Then he looks over at her.

 

“Were having a boy.”

 

“Were having a boy.” She confirms.

 

Ed lunges at her. He grabs her around the waist and kisses her so deeply she forgets how to breath.

 

“Were having a boy…”

 

“Congratulations Daddy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The nightmare is implying this is Jim's nightmare, I'm pretty sure Ed isn't stupid enough not to realize Lee is pregnant so this is my spin on it, hope you enjoy :)

**Author's Note:**

> So...this feels weird. My last fic was on fanfiction.net in 2013 and I thought I was done with writing. Season 4 of Gotham really inspired me to come back to something I loved when I was younger! I really wanted to explore my version of the Lee/Ed dynamic after they come back from the stabbing. I think they are such a fascinating couple because the whole romance came out of left field, but when it happened it really made sense to me. Hope you enjoyed my first chapter! More to come...


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